Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith
Name	Marshall Goldsmith
Birth date	1949
Birth place	Valparaiso, Indiana
Occupation	Executive coach, author, speaker, management consultant
Alma mater	Indiana University Bloomington, University of Michigan
Notable works	"What Got You Here Won't Get You There", "Triggers"

Marshall Goldsmith is an American executive coach, leadership thinker, and author known for work on behavioral change among senior leaders and CEOs. He has advised leaders across multinational corporations, non-profit institutions, and governmental organizations, focusing on leadership development, feedback processes, and measurable behavior change. Goldsmith is recognized for combining empirical research with pragmatic interventions tailored to high-level executives and boards.

Early life and education

Goldsmith was born in Valparaiso, Indiana and raised in the American Midwest, an upbringing contemporaneous with broader social changes in postwar United States society. He completed undergraduate studies at Indiana University Bloomington, where he studied management and developed early interests that intersected with organizational behavior in settings such as General Electric and regional manufacturing firms. Goldsmith earned a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, where he studied under scholars connected to Harvard Business School-influenced thought and produced dissertation work engaging literature from Peter Drucker, Warren Bennis, and Edgar Schein. During his doctoral studies he interacted with faculty associated with Academy of Management debates and empirical research on leadership.

Career and coaching practice

Goldsmith began his career in management consulting and academic roles, holding positions that linked applied consulting with teaching at institutions influenced by Kellogg School of Management and Wharton School. He served as a professor and later transitioned to full-time executive coaching, working with senior leaders at firms such as Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, IBM, and CitiGroup. His practice emphasizes 360-degree feedback processes, "feedforward" techniques, and stakeholder-centered coaching used by executives in multinational environments spanning Tokyo, London, and New York City offices. Goldsmith founded a consultancy that collaborates with boards, CEOs, and leadership teams, integrating methods cited alongside work by Jim Collins, Daniel Goleman, and Peter Senge. He has been engaged by nonprofit institutions including The Nature Conservancy and academic entities like Harvard Business School Executive Education programs for customized leadership interventions.

Goldsmith's approach draws on behavioral science rooted in traditions linked to B.F. Skinner-informed reinforcement ideas, cognitive frameworks aligned with Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, and organizational change models referenced alongside Kotter's 8-Step Process and Lewin's change management model. He has partnered with corporate boards and executive search firms including Heidrick & Struggles and Korn Ferry to support succession planning and CEO onboarding. His coaching often includes measurable 360° surveys, goal-setting agreements, and follow-up reporting used by stakeholders such as compensation committees and executive leadership teams.

Major works and publications

Goldsmith is author or co-author of several widely cited books and articles aimed at senior leaders. His best-known book, "What Got You Here Won't Get You There", synthesizes observations about interpersonal habits affecting leadership effectiveness and is often cited alongside works by Stephen Covey, Tom Peters, and Jim Collins. Other notable titles include "Triggers", "Succession: Are You Ready?", and collaborations such as "The Leader of the Future" with contributors connected to World Economic Forum discussions. Goldsmith has written chapters and articles for outlets including Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal, and contributed to edited volumes with thinkers like Marshall Ganz and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

His writing has been used in executive education curricula at institutions such as INSEAD, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Columbia Business School, and cited in case studies involving leaders from Procter & Gamble, Apple Inc., and Google. Goldsmith's methodologies have been operationalized in corporate training modules and executive coaching certification programs from organizations like the International Coach Federation.

Awards and recognition

Goldsmith has received multiple industry recognitions for coaching and leadership development. He has been listed among top leadership thinkers in rankings published by Thinkers50, which also recognized peers such as Michael Porter and Henry Mintzberg. He received awards from professional bodies including the International Coach Federation and honors bestowed at conferences organized by World Business Forum and Fortune Global Forum. His books have been translated into numerous languages and have received business book awards and bestseller listings in publications such as The New York Times and Financial Times.

Goldsmith's contribution to executive coaching has been acknowledged by executive education programs at Harvard Business School and London Business School, and he has been invited to speak at gatherings including Davos-related sessions and industry summits hosted by McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group.

Personal life and philanthropy

Goldsmith resides in the United States and participates in philanthropic and civic activities connected to leadership development, supporting educational initiatives and nonprofit governance capacities at institutions such as United Way and university-affiliated scholarship programs at Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Michigan. He has contributed pro bono coaching to social-sector leaders from organizations including Doctors Without Borders and The Red Cross, and participates in panels and workshops for leadership development at conferences like TEDx and Aspen Ideas Festival.

Goldsmith maintains a practice of public speaking and mentoring emerging coaches, collaborating with networks that include the International Coach Federation and academic partners at Northwestern University and Yale School of Management. His ongoing engagements reflect a focus on measurable behavioral change among leaders across corporate, nonprofit, and governmental institutions.

Category:American business writers Category:Executive coaches